Harveys Christmas Ale (Bottle)

Brewed by Harveys
Style: Barley Wine
Lewes, England

Serve in Snifter

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New Beer Distributors, NY 33cl ($5): Pours a murky mahogany with a tiny head that forms a second or two after your finish the pour (i.e. very low carbonation). Aroma is like a coke float with rum in it. Taste is kind of like soda, with a more organic fruitiness to it. It ain’t as sweet as I expected, but is still plenty sweet. Some sugary aftertaste. This is an interesting take on the barley wine methinks.

Bottled. A dark ruby colour with a small, short lived, light brown head. Sweet aromas of malt, molasses, and treacle. Flavours are initially sweet too - malt and treacle again - but with a drier finish. Thick texture, strong flavours, and strong alcohol, but well balanced.

Bottle at home (Harvey’s online) - 13/11/12 @7.5% ABV. Pours a clear dark chestnut with a thin tan head that soon dissipates to the edges and forms a small swirl atop the glass. Nose comprises sweet toffee, figs, fruit loaf bread, brown sugars, touch of wood and a little booze. Tastes of rich dark fruits, prunes, dates, Xmas Pudd flavours, touch of wood, little sign of the 7.5% alcohol. Fine carbonation, great feel, smooth and slightly warming. This beer grew on me as I allowed it to warm. It was from the outhouse which can be a little chilly in November, hence ideal for storing beers, but came into its own as it warmed. A decent low cost bottle!

Bottle tagged with "2009". Dark brown/res with little to no head. Smells like brandy and tastes like prunes, dates, oak, hops, lemon, and red grapes. Finishes dry and tannic. Very nice sipping barley wine.

Bottle at the Copenhagen Beer Celebration Tune-Up, London. I think bottle came from the generous Duff, from RateBeer. Pours clear amber with a fine film. Medium sweet flavor with some caramel. Medium sweet. Medium to full in body with fine carbonation. Sweet finish with caramel and mild fruits. It’s fine. Good beer.

275 ml bottle. Poured cloudy dark brown with a large bubbly head. Aroma of cinnamon, fruity, toffee, malty, and raisins. Flavors of malts, cinnamon, toffee, some fruity alcohol flavors. This is a fantastic beer with the age.

Bottle at Scopey’s Pre-CBC tune-up. The pour’s cherry red and brown with a tight brown head. The nose is of spicy strawberry jam, shortcake and buttery bread. I get some spicy nutmeg and yule log too. The taste is slightly tannic strawberry jam, dirty orchard fruits and general spice. The body’s full and sugary. Soft. Overall, not a bad beer.

Bottle at my Pre-CBC Tune-Up Tasting, big thanks to the legendary Duff for pulling these Harveys out of the bag.... It pours deep amber, with a thin off-white head. The nose is spice, caramel, dark fruit, citrus peel and maple syrup. The taste is fig, raisin, currant, spice, Christmas cake, tanginess, brown sugar and alcohol warmth in the finish. Medium body and fine carbonation. A pretty good winter warmer.

This is an old bottle, at least 5 years or so. I think I have had this for 4 years and I think it was old when I picked it up as the price was marked down. Very dark, hint of brown at the edges. No head but at the edges. Hugely malty nose, nearly syrupy sweet. This is sooo flat it’s distracting. This is just malt, and syrupy as well. cloying and like a sweet liqour but without the alcohol. As I get through this, chocolate and sweet cherry candy flavors become more apparent and fortunate given the typical beer characteristics this is lacking. This is probably a great brew but has not held up well.

ridiculously smooth. Poured a dark copper brown with no head whatsoever. An excellent example of a barley wine, smooth, strong, with a nice warming finish,.